KUALA LUMPUR – The government has capped the expenditure allocation for promotional advertisements and media buys for its policies at RM100 million starting next year.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (Tambun-PH) told the Dewan Rakyat today that RM700 million had been spent on publicity for the government through all media platforms, including print, television, and social media.
This amount was mostly under the administrations of former prime ministers Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and his successor, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
This meant that an average of RM200 million was spent per year throughout that period.
His administration, however, wants to spend wisely and will only allocate RM100 million for the same purpose, starting next year.
“(Publicity) expenditure as of October 2023 has not even reached RM100 million and is based on crafts signed last year before the unity government took over.
“For 2024, I have instructed the Finance Ministry to avoid approving more than RM100 million,” Anwar said in a written answer during the Prime Minister’s Question Time.
Anwar was responding to a question from P. Prabakaran (Batu-PH), who asked how much the government had spent on media promotion of its policies and achievements since 2020.
Anwar told the house that Ismail Sabri’s administration did not spend as much on publicity as Muhyiddin’s, as there was a surplus.
“That is why, for 2023, I don’t have anything more to allocate other than continuing the existing contract.”
He also said that the government should not be burdened with the cost of paying for additional advertisements and publicity and would rely on existing government machinery, as well as ministers and deputy ministers, to raise awareness among the people.
Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah (Indera Mahkota-PN) in a supplementary question, said Muhyiddin’s larger spending on publicity for the government was justified, as it was during the Covid-19 pandemic and many issues had to be explained to the people.
Saifuddin also asked the prime minister to give a breakdown of the publicity spending.
In response, Anwar said he did not have such details ready, but explained that payments for publicity using billboards and publications came from the Prime Minister’s Office.
“Advertising money is also paid to some media to promote the prime minister as well as the government,” Anwar said. – November 7, 2023